System and methods for three dimensional modeling of an object using a radio frequency device

ABSTRACT

A system for generating a three dimension (3D) imaging of an object, the system comprising: an electromagnetic transducer array such as an RF (radio-frequency) antenna array surrounding the object said array comprising: a plurality of electromagnetic transducers; a transmitter unit for applying RF signals to said electromagnetic transducer array; and a receiver unit for receiving a plurality of RF signals affected by said object from said electromagnetic transducers array; a Radio Frequency Signals Measurement Unit (RFSMU) configured to receive and measure said plurality of plurality of affected RF signals and provide RF data of the object; and at least one processing unit, configured to process said RF data to identify the dielectric properties of said object and construct a 3D image of said object.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/157,161, filed on May 5, 2015, entitled “SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR 3D MODELING OF AN OBJECT”, the subject matter of thepresent application is also related to PCT ApplicationPCT/IL2015/050126, filed Feb. 4, 2015, entitled “SYSTEM DEVISE ANDMETHOD FOR TESTING AN OBJECT”, PCT Application PCT/IL2015/050099, filedon Jan. 28, 2015, entitled “SENSORS FOR A PORTABLE DEVICE”, U.S.application Ser. No. 14/605,084, filed on Jan. 26, 2015 entitled “VECTORNETWORK ANALYZER”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,625,508; U.S. application Ser.No. 14/499,505, filed on Sep. 30, 2015 entitled “DEVICE AND METHOD FORCALIBRATING ANTENNA ARRAY SYSTEMS”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,735,899; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/696,813, filed on Apr. 27, 2015 entitled“PRINTED ANTENNA HAVING NON-UNIFORM LAYERS”, now abandoned, each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thisapplication is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/871,397, filed May 11, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,092,684, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/569,827, filed Oct.27, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,690,760, which is a 35 USC 371 NationalStage Entry of application PCT/IL2016/050479, filed May 5, 2016, whichclaims domestic priority to U.S. application 62/157,161, filed May 5,2015.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each individual publication, patent, or patent application wasspecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system device and methods for threedimensional (3D) microwave modeling of an object more specifically, butnot exclusively, to a Radio Frequency (RF) sensing system for imagingand/or modeling of an object.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The 3D imaging and modeling technology is maturing rapidly, affectingthe accelerated evolution of a variety of 3D related fields such as 3Dprinting, gaming, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) etc.3D printing or Additive Manufacturing (AM) is any of various processesfor making a 3D object of almost any shape from a 3D model or otherelectronic data source primarily through additive processes in whichsuccessive layers of material are laid down under computer control. A 3Dprinter is a type of industrial robot. The 3D printing technologyenables the layperson to manufacture small and sophisticated objectswithout the need for advanced tooling or experts. A 3D printingmanufacture may create an original 3D object or copy from another 3Dmodel reference. In both cases there is a need to have accuratemechanical schematics of the object to produce the desired object. A 3Dscanner is a device that analyses a real-world object or environment tocollect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (e.g. color). Thecollected data can then be used to construct digital three-dimensionalmodels.

The prior art solutions for modeling objects that are currently usedinclude a system comprising an optical unit, e.g., camera, and providinga 3D image of the object by viewing the object from a number ofdifferent angles.

Another solution according to the prior art includes a method formeasuring distances to an object using a laser device, and obtaining a3D contour of the object by turning the object or the laser device. Themain disadvantage of this solution is that it only provides an imagingcontour of the object and the internal parts are completely obscured.For example the internal parts of an opaque object cannot be imaged andtherefore the internal parameters of the object such as size or contourare not provided. Additionally the laser device as provided by the priorart is expensive and may not be sold as a consumer device.

Other prior art solutions include RF systems comprising an RF array forimaging for example for airport security intended to reveal concealedweapons and materials. However, these systems perform planar imaging,i.e., both the array and image reconstruction are plane based, whichinhibits full 3D imaging of objects, e.g., limits the imaging ofmirror-like objects in angles perpendicular to the array. In addition,these systems do not deal with creating mechanical 3D models of thescanned objects.

The prior 3D modeling such as 3D scanners or devices can be less thanideal in at least some respects. Prior 3D scanners are limited by theability to scan only the external features of the object. In otherwords, an output of a 3D modeling of prior art solutions include onlythe surface of the object, while data relating to the inner sections ofthe object is missing.

In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide improved methodsand apparatus for 3D modeling of an object. Ideally, such methods andapparatus would be easy to use, and provide accurate measurements of theobject including the inner parts of the object, for example providingbore dimensions of a flute.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Prior to the Summary of the invention being set forth, it may be helpfulto set forth definitions of certain terms that will be used hereinafter.

The term ‘3D modeling’ or ‘3D mechanical model’ as used herein isdefined as the process of representation of an external and internalparts and parameters (e.g. width, volume etc.) of an object includingfor example elements which are inside the object.

The term ‘RF image’ as used herein is defined as an image constructedbased on RF signals affected by or reflected from an imaged or scannedobject, medium or scene.

The term ‘bi static’ as used herein is defined as an operation wheretransmitter and receiver antennas are not co-located (as opposed tomono-static where the transmitter and receiver are co-located).

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a systemfor generating a three dimension (3D) imaging of an object, the systemcomprising: an electromagnetic transducer array surrounding the objectsaid array comprising: a plurality of electromagnetic transducers; atransmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to saidelectromagnetic transducer array; and a receiver unit for receiving aplurality of RF signals affected by said object from saidelectromagnetic transducers array; a Radio Frequency Signals MeasurementUnit (RFSMU) configured to receive and measure said plurality ofplurality of affected RF signals and provide RF data of the object; andat least one processing unit, said at least one processing unit isconfigured to: process said RF data to identify the dielectricproperties of said object and construct a 3D image of said object.

In an embodiment, the at least one processing unit is further configuredto produce a model of the object, said model comprises a representationof the external and internal shape or parameters of the object.

In an embodiment, the parameters comprise dielectric properties of theobject.

In an embodiment, the army is configured to measure the object from aplurality of bi-static angles.

In an embodiment, the plurality of electromagnetic transducers are RFantennas.

In an embodiment, the antennas are selected from a group consisting offlat spiral antennas, printed log periodic antennas, sinuous antennas,patch antennas, multilayer antennas, waveguide antennas, dipoleantennas, slot antennas, Vivaldi broadband antennas.

In an embodiment, the wideband electromagnetic transducer array is aMIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna array.

In an embodiment, the system comprises a housing having a cavity thereinwherein said cavity is configured to contain said object.

In an embodiment, the antenna array is attached to said housing surface.

In an embodiment, the housing shape is selected from the groupconsisting of: a sphere, a cube, a cage.

In an embodiment, the system comprising motors configured to rotate thehousing or the antenna array or the object with respect to Y or X axis.

In an embodiment, the housing comprises at least one arc for holdingsaid plurality of antennas.

In an embodiment, the plurality of antennas are configured to slide upor down along said at least one arc.

In an embodiment, the id plurality of antennas are configured to slideup and down on said arc while the housing is rotated.

In an embodiment, the object is rotated while the housing is in a staticposition.

In an embodiment, the system comprises a camera, said camera isconfigured to provide a 2D or a 3D image of the object.

In an embodiment, the 2D or a 3D image of the object are superposed withthe 3D image of said object.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda method for generating a three dimension (3D) image of an object, themethod comprising: obtaining a plurality of Radio Frequency (RF) signalsfrom a 3D electromagnetic transducer array surrounding the object, saidplurality of RF signals are signals affected by said object or by saidobject surroundings; measuring the obtained RF signals by a RadioFrequency Signal Measurement Unit (RFSMU) to provide RF data of theobject; processing said measured RF data by a processor to removeinterferences affecting said RF data; processing the RF data to obtainthe dielectric properties of the object; and processing the dielectricproperties of the object to construct a 3D visualization of said object.

In an embodiment, the method further comprising calibrating the affectedRF signals.

In an embodiment, said array is configured to measure the object from aplurality of bi-static angles.

In an embodiment, the 3D image construction of the object is processedaccording to delay and sum (DAS) methods.

In an embodiment, the object is a rigid object comprisingelectromagnetically transparent elements.

In an embodiment, the object is a hollow object.

In an embodiment, the object is made of a material selected from thegroup consisting of glass, plastic, iron, metal, wood or combinationthereof.

In an embodiment, the method comprises obtaining additional informationon the object using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods.

In an embodiment, the method comprises estimating the location of thearray using at least one motion sensor.

In an embodiment, the method comprises dividing the 3D electromagnetictransducer array to a plurality of subarrays and processing separatelythe RF signals from each subarray by a separate processing unit.

In an embodiment, the method comprises modeling said object, saidmodeling is obtained by modeling first the external contour of theobject and peeling the external modeling and modeling the followinginternal contour of the object until the inner parts of the object arecompletely modeled.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and/or scientific terms usedherein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used inthe practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplarymethods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, thepatent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition,the materials, methods, and examples arc illustrative only and are notintended to be necessarily limiting.

Implementation of the method and/or system of embodiments of theinvention can involve performing or completing selected tasks manually,automatically, or a combination thereof. Moreover, according to actualinstrumentation and equipment of embodiments of the method and/or systemof the invention, several selected tasks could be implemented byhardware, by software or by firmware or by a combination thereof usingan operating system.

For example, hardware for performing selected tasks, according toembodiments of the invention, could be implemented as a chip or acircuit. As software, selected tasks according to embodiments of theinvention could be implemented as a plurality of software instructionsbeing executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In anexemplary embodiment of the invention, one or more tasks according toexemplary embodiments of method and/or system as described herein, areperformed by a data processor, such as a computing platform forexecuting a plurality of instructions. Optionally, the data processorincludes a volatile memory for storing instructions and/or data and/or anon-volatile storage, for example, a magnetic hard-disk and/or removablemedia, for storing instructions and/or data. Optionally, a networkconnection is provided as well. A display and/or a user input devicesuch as a keyboard or mouse are optionally provided as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter disclosed may best be understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description when read with the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a 3D scanning and/or imaging system, according toan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a sphere shaped transducer 3D array according tosome embodiments of invention:

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a sphere 3D army comprising two arcs, accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a sphere antenna array including two antennas,according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 5A-5B are flowcharts of methods for 3D scanning and modeling of anobject, according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a 3D cross section image of a solid opaque cup and a ballinside the cup, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to RFradiation methods, devise and system such as microwave ormillimeter-wave methods for imaging and/or modeling an object. Morespecifically, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to asystem, device and methods for providing a 3D mechanical model, ofobjects such as 3D objects.

Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide 3D data, suchas 3D image data or modeling on the internal structure of an object suchas data of the inner sections or elements of the object for example datarelating to nonmetallic objects materials, such as plastics, glass,wood, etc. In other words, while 3D modeling image data according to theprior art includes only the contour of the object, eliminating datarelating to latescent parts of the object, the present invention methodsand devices are configured to provide data on hidden parts of theobject, such as internal structure of opaque objects.

In some cases, device and methods according to the invention areconfigured to reproduce or model the surface and inner parts of anobject wherein some of the object's parts are concealed and thereforemay not be measured according to prior art devices or methods withoutdamaging the copied object.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there isprovided a system for constructing a 3D representation or image (e.g.visualization) of an object for example a virtual 3D representation(e.g. 3D image) of an object.

The system comprises a plurality of transducers (e.g. electromagnetictransducers); a transmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency)signals to said electromagnetic transducer array; and a receiver unitfor receiving a plurality of RF signals affected by said object fromsaid electromagnetic transducers array; a Radio Frequency SignalsMeasurement Unit (RFSMU) configured to receive and measure saidplurality of plurality of affected RF signals and provide RF data of theobject based on the plurality of affected RF signals; and at least oneprocessing unit configured to: process said RF data to identify thedielectric properties of said object and construct a 3D visualization(e.g. image) of said object.

Specifically, the system comprises a sensing unit, the sensing unitcomprises an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, theantennas are configured to radiate high frequency RF signals. The systemfurther includes a transmitter module (sub-system), a receiver module(sub-system) and at least one processing unit for processing themeasured signals and constructing the 3D image of the object. The 3Dimage may comprise 3D representation of the surface and internalsections of the object.

By augmenting the bistatic imaging with near field 3D imaging andmodeling of the external and internal structure of multi layered complexbodies the present invention embodiments may provide even more accuratemodels which can be used for various applications, including, but notlimited to, 3D printing and non-destructive testing (NDT).

According to another embodiment of the invention the imaging system mayinclude a number of electromagnetic mirrors for diversifying the viewingangles and imaging the object from multiple viewing angles. For example,scanning an object from a front hemisphere while having a mirror behindthe object allows imaging the back side of the object as well.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which is a schematic diagramillustrating a system 100 for constructing a 3D representation of anobject 110 according to one embodiment of the invention. The system 100comprises one or more sensors, specifically the system comprises anarray of transducers for example one or more 3D multi-antenna arraysconfigurations 120 which surrounds an object 110 (hereinafter OUT or MUTor sample or material(s) or substance(s)). For example, the object maybe hermetically surrounded by the array. The antenna array 120 comprisesa plurality of antennas 125. The antennas can be of many types known inthe art, such as flat spiral antennas, printed log periodic antennas,sinuous antennas, patch antennas, multilayer antennas, waveguideantennas, dipole antennas, slot antennas, Vivaldi broadband antennas.The antenna array can be a MIMO or a linear or two-dimensional, flat orconformal to the region of interest.

In some cases, the system 100 comprises a housing for holding theantenna array. For example, the housing may be a cage 130, shaped as aspherical cage or other shape such as a cube for holding the antennaarray and surrounding the object. The cage 130 comprises one or morearcs 135 for holding the antennas 125. For example, the object may behermetically surrounded by the housing.

In some cases, the housing may include an opening for inserting theobject to the cage and a holding for holding the object.

The antenna array 120 may transfer a plurality of RF signals 137propagating a wave into the cage 130 for constructing a 3D image of theobject. The system 100 further includes a transmit/receive subsystem 115configured to generate and transmit the RF signals, for example, from 10MHz to 10 GHz, a Radio Frequency Signals Measurement Unit (RFSMU) 120such as a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) for measuring thereceived/reflected signals, a data acquisition subsystem 150 and furtherat least one processing unit 160 for processing the measured signals toprovide an RF image and further a 3D visualization (e.g. one or more 3Dimages) of said object.

The transmit/receive subsystem 115 is responsible for generation of theRF signals, coupling them to the antennas, reception of the RF signalsfrom the antennas and converting them into a form suitable foracquisition. The signals can be pulse signals, stepped-frequencysignals, chirp signals and the like. The generation circuitry caninvolve oscillators, synthesizers, mixers, or it can be based on pulseoriented circuits such as logic gates or step-recovery diodes. Theconversion process can include down conversion, sampling, and the like.The conversion process typically includes averaging in the form oflow-pass filtering, to improve the signal-to-noise ratios and to allowfor lower sampling rates.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the transmit/receivesubsystem 115 may perform transmission and reception with multipleantennas at a time or select one transmit and one receive antenna at atime, according to a tradeoff between complexity and acquisition time.

The data acquisition subsystem 150 collects and digitizes the signalsfrom the transmit/receive subsystem 115 while tagging the signalsaccording to the antenna combination used and the time at which thesignals were collected. The data acquisition subsystem 150 willtypically include analog-to-digital (A/D) converters and data buffers,but it may include additional functions such as signal averaging,correlation of waveforms with templates or converting signals betweenfrequency and time domain.

In an embodiment, the data acquisition subsystem 150 may include signalsource/s, amplifiers, mixers, antennas, analog to digital converters,data transfer HW, memory, controller, power delivery hardware, and allother components required.

The processing unit 160 is responsible for converting the collected RFsignals into responses and merging other data such as image datareceived from optical sensors such as the camera or the ultrasoundunits, and converting the sets of RF responses and image data, into datato reconstruct a 3D image as will be described in details herein below.The processing unit 160 is usually implemented as a high-performancecomputing platform, based either on dedicated Digital Signal Processing(DSP) units, general purpose CPUs, or, according to newer trends,Graphical Processing Units (GPU).

A final step in the process is making use of the resulting image, eitherin the form of visualization, display, storage, archiving, or input tofeature detection algorithms. This step is exemplified in FIG. 1 asconsole 165. The console may be part of a mobile device and is typicallyimplemented as a handheld computer such as a mobile telephone or a tablecomputer with appropriate application software.

In some cases, the system 100 may include an optical device such as anoptical camera 161 configured to image and model the contour of theobject 110 (e.g. provide an optical image), and characterize the visualcharacteristics of the object, e.g., its colors. The contour obtainedfrom the optical device (e.g. the camera 161) may be fused or superposedwith the contour of the RF image as provided by the antenna array to geta more precise model of the object.

The camera may be a CCD or CMOS camera.

For example, the constructed 3D image processed by the processing unitbased on measurements and analysis of the RF signals reflected from theobject may be merged with an external 3D contour obtained from the 2D or3D images.

In some cases, the superposition process may be utilized as part of acalibration process of the array. The visual information about theexterior of the 3D object may be used to refine the accuracy of themicrowave imaging system.

Examples for embodiments for a calibration process may be found in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/499,505, filed on Sep. 30, 2015 entitled“DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATING ANTENNA ARRAY SYSTEMS” whichapplication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

In some cases, system 100 may include ultrasound transducers 170, andthe processing unit may fuse the resulting reconstructed ultrasoundimage with the RF image and or the optical image.

The merging process of the different type of images (e.g. the RF imageand other type of images such as ultrasound image) may include anoptimization step to improve and/or to optimize 3D image reconstructiontime. The optimization may include variable resolution imaging, e.g.,reconstructing a crude image, which is then further processed to enhanceresolution only in these relevant regions.

The basic principle of operation of the system 100 is as follows. RFsignals are radiated by the transmit/receive subsystem 115, via theantenna army 120, and are further reflected by the object 110 ortransmitted through it, and received by the transmit/receive subsystem115. At the next step the received signals are generated and received atRFSMU 120. The received signals are then processed at the processingunit 160 resulting in a reconstructed 3D image.

Once a reconstructed image is available, further processing is carriedout in order to distill a 3D mechanical model of the contour as well asthe internal structure of the multi-layered object as will be describedin detail hereinbelow.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 illustrating a sphere-shaped transducer(e.g. antenna) army 200 covering a surface of a housing 230, shaped as aball, and surrounding an object 210 according to one embodiment of theinvention. The housing shape may include, but is not limited to, a ball,cube, a cage and so on. The housing may be in the form of a sphericalcage comprising a plurality of arcs 220. The transducer (e.g. antenna)array 200 comprises a plurality of transducers (e.g. antennas) 250 (e.g.transmit and receive antennas) covering the housing's surface. In somecases, the plurality of antennas are attached along the housing's arcs.The antenna army 200 is configured to cover all bi-static angles oftransmit and receive from multiple possible viewing angles of theobject. It is stressed that covering multiple bi-static angles iscrucial since many objects behave as “mirrors” for the relevantwavelengths, and therefore the energy is reflected to a localized anglein space. The antenna array topology as shown in FIG. 2 is configured tocollect all Tx and Rx angles instantaneously.

According to embodiments of the invention the antenna array isconfigured to receive signals reflected from the object as well assignals transmitted through the object. For example the signals may bereceived by an Rx antenna, and transferred through an analog path (e.g.amplifier, mixer, filter), sampled by the analog to digital converter,digitally processed (e.g. filters, weighting) of the processing unit andtransferred to the next level.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 illustrating a system such as an imagingsystem 300 according to another embodiment of the invention. The system300 comprises an antenna array 320 comprising a plurality of antennas(e.g. transmit and receive antennas) which may be mounted on a housing330, shaped for example as spherical ball or cage. The housing mayinclude one or more arcs for holding the plurality of antennas and adriver and rotation unit 380 for rotating the housing and/or the arcsand/or the object along a rotation axis Y parallel to the arcs inrespect to an X-, Y-, Z-axis Cartesian coordinate system. Specifically,the housing 330 may include two antenna arcs (e.g. antenna arc 322 andantenna arc 324) comprising a plurality of antenna. For example, the twoarcs, may comprise any angle of rotation in respect to axis Y while theobject is static.

In some cases, the arcs 322 and 324 may be at a distance al with respectto axis X along the housing 330 diameter. Advantageously, the rotationconfiguration as illustrated in FIG. 3 enables to reduce the requirednumber of antennas in the antenna array by rotating the antenna array(e.g. arcs 322 and 324) or the object.

The rotation unit 380 may be controlled by controller which maydetermine the rotation speed of the antenna and also the object. Forexample, the housing may be rotated in a speed of several degrees ortens of degrees per second.

In accordance with embodiments as illustrated in FIG. 3 , system 300 isconfigured to measure the object 310 from all bi-static angles whileutilizing a small number of antennas (e.g. receiving and transmittingantennas), for example fewer transmitters and receivers antenna than thenumber of antennas included in system 200 shown in FIG. 2 (for exampleless than 10 antennas or only two antennas). However, the measurementsprovided by the system 300 are not instantaneous and the antennas ofFIG. 3 must be swept (e.g. rotated) over all positions and angles. Byrotating the arcs (e.g. arc 324 or 322) the system may cover multiplebi-static angles which result in all possible angles between thetransmitter and receiver, and all transmitter to object angles.

In one embodiment, the system 300 may include two rotation states forimaging or modelling the object 310, in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention.

In a first rotation state object 310 is rotated while the housing 330and the antennas are in a fixed position, imaging the object.Alternatively, the object may be in a fixed position while the housing330 may be rotated for example anticlockwise in respect to axis Y andimaging the object from all possible angels. Optionally, both the objectand housing may be rotated synchronically for imaging the object fromall possible angles.

-   -   In a second rotation state the angle α1 between the arcs (e.g.        arcs 322 and 324) may be controlled, for example the first arc,        such as arc 322 may be static, while the second arc (e.g. 324)        may be rotated to or from the first arc in respect to the Y        axis.    -   In some cases, the housing may be rotated in respect to the Y        axis and or the X axis.

According to some embodiments of the invention the system 300 mayinclude more than two arcs, for example the system 300 may include aplurality of arcs, for example at a distance α1 between two consecutivearcs where α1 may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more degrees. Insome cases, the system may include partial arcs, for example the systemmay include a single arc covering 180 degrees (e.g. half of sphericalball) or two arcs where each arc is configured to cover complementary 90degrees, (both arcs covering the 180 degrees).

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 illustrating a system 400 for imagingand further modelling an object 410, in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention. The system 400 may comprise a limited number of antennas,for example only two antennas configured to cover all bi-static anglesof the object.

The system 400 comprises a housing 430, shaped as spherical cage, andsurrounding the object 410. According to embodiments of the inventionthe antenna may be attached to the hosing. For example, may be in theform of a spherical cage comprising a plurality of arcs 220, where eacharc is configured to hold at least one antenna.

In some cases, as shown in FIG. 4 , the imaging system 400 comprises afirst antenna 432 and a second antenna 434, where each antenna may belocated at any point on the surface of the sphere. For example, thefirst antenna 432 may be attached to a first arc 422 while the secondantenna 434 may be attached to a second arc 424. In an embodiment bothantennas, the first antenna and the second antenna, may slide up anddown accordingly and synchronically while the sphere is rotated.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5A illustrating a flowchart 500 of amethod of 3D image reconstruction and modelling of an object using a RFdevice, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

At step 510 one or more RF signals, for example between 2 GHz and 9 GHz,are generated by one or more RF transducers (e.g. sensors or antenna),such as the antenna array attached to or placed on the housingcomprising the object as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 . The signals areemitted towards the object, preferably from all (or almost all)bi-static angles. The RF sensors may be any of the mentioned abovesensors.

At step 520 the multiple RF signals reflected or affected from or by theobject and/or the scene surrounding the scene are obtained from all (oralmost all) bi-static angles by the RF sensors and at step 530 thereflected or affected RF signals are measured, for example by the RFSMU120 to obtain RF data of the object.

In an embodiment, the emitted and affected signal of steps 510 and 520are transmitted and obtained from a plurality of angles by rotating theobject and/or the RF transducers as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 .

At step 540 a calibration process is carried out to tune the imagingsystem so as to maintain coherency of the signals throughout thefrequency range, over the entire array, and over all the measurements(e.g. in the case of non-instantaneous measurements).

The methods, system and apparatus disclosed herein are capable ofcalibrating an antenna or an antenna array, such as the array orantennas illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 , by utilizing one or more targets.The calibration process is required for example, for each pair ofbi-static antennas and for each frequency. The methods and apparatus canbe configured to measure the electronic delay and possible mismatchbetween the antennas and/or the electronics of the array or the devicecomprising the array, and possible mismatch between the antenna and themedium (object under test).

The targets' properties used for calibrating the antenna array may beknown, unknown or partially known. For example, the target may be anyobject which it's electromagnetic (EM) response may be measured, such asa metal ball.

Methods and system according to embodiments of the invention includemeasuring the EM reflections of the target, located in a specificlocation in respect to the antenna array and analyzing the reflected EMsignal to configure a separated EM transmit response (e.g. forward term)and receive response (e.g. reverse term) for each antenna of the antennaarray. A further analysis process includes comparing (e.g. simulating)the calculated EM responses to a set of responses which should have beenreceived and configuring the array's full complex EM response (e.g. theantennas EM responses reflected from the medium in time and frequency).

In addition, accurate chip-level calibrations are required in order toguarantee the stability and linearity of the recorded signals.

Examples for calibrating an antenna may be found in PCT PatentApplication No. PCT/FL2016/050444 entitled SYSTEM AND METHODS FORCALIBRATING AN ANTENNA ARRAY USING TARGETS which application isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

At step 550, a background removal process is applied on to removeunwanted interferences received at the antenna.

At step 560, the normalized RF signals are measured to obtain thedielectric properties of the object and identify the quantitativequalities of the object. The processing step may be activated forexample by the processor unit and the Radio Frequency SignalsMeasurement Unit (RFSMU) connected to or in communication with thesensors as shown in FIG. 1 .

Examples of methods for measuring the dielectric properties of an objectand identifying the quantitative qualities of the object may be found inthe present applicant patent applications and patents, for example PCTApplication number PCT/IL2015/050126, filed Feb. 4, 2015, entitled“SYSTEM DEVISE AND METHOD FOR TESTING AN OBJECT”, PCT ApplicationPCT/IL2015/050099, filed on Jan. 28, 2015, entitled “SENSORS FOR APORTABLE DEVICE” and U.S. Pat. No. 8,494,615 filed Mar. 18, 2011 whichapplications and patent is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

At step 570 a 3D image reconstruction process of the object is initiatedby the processing unit 160. In an embodiment, the reconstruction processincludes analysis of the RF data (e.g. dielectric properties of theobject) by the processing unit using processing methods such as delayand sum (DAS) methods. Specifically, according to embodiments of theinvention, a 3D image of the object is reconstructed based on arbitraryantenna arrays, such as antenna army 120 of FIG. 1 or the antennas ofFIGS. 2-4 , according to a DAS beamforming method. As follows: Afterhaving transmitted from all, or some, of the sensors and having receivedwith all or some of the remaining sensors, the reflected or affected RFsignals are converted to time domain. Let y_(ij)(t) denote the timedomain signal obtained when transmitting from sensor i and receiving insensor j. According to the DAS method, to obtain the image at point r inspace, the signals are delayed according to the expected delay from thepair of sensors to point r, denoted T_(ij)(r) and then summed, yieldingEq (1):I _(DAS)(r)=Σ_(ij) y _(ij)(T _(ij)(r))  (1)

The DAS algorithm requires adaptations to handle sensor radiationpattern and frequency responses of the various system components (RFelements, traces, sensors).

In addition, the signal acquisition may be performed in time domain, orrather, it may be performed in frequency domain, over discontinuousfrequency windows. Furthermore, possibly, every frequency region uses adifferent set of sensors and has a different gain and noise properties.The selection of these frequency windows comes hand in hand with thearray design, where the angular diversity of the array compensates forthe missing information in frequency, and vice versa.

In general, coherent combining of the signals may be performed infrequency domain, with predefined weights according to Eq 2:I _(coh)(r)=Σ_(ij)Σ_(f)Re{w _(ij)(f;r)·Y _(ij)(f)}  (2)Where w_(ij)(f;r) is the complex weight given to frequency f in pair i→jwhen imaging point r. The value of w_(i,j) is computed while taking intoaccount the following considerations:

The contribution of various sensor pairs/sub-arrays and differentfrequencies to the resolution. For example, if there are fewerlow-frequency sensors, their signals will be amplified in order tobalance their power and improve resolution.

Compensation of the gain and frequency response of different frequencyregions/windows.

Path loss and lossy materials: weak signals that result fromspace/material loss are amplified, in general, as long as they are abovethe noise/clutter level.

Known properties of the antennas/sensors (e.g. radiation pattern andfrequency response) and of the path and the target (e.g. spatial andspectral response of a Rayleigh reflector).

Adaptive imaging (such as capon beamforming) may be applied. In thiscase the weights w_(ij) are determined based on the measured signals,e.g. in order to optimize SNR or signal to clutter in a given locationon the image

Transparent Objects

In some cases, the object such as object 110 or 210 of FIGS. 1-2 , mayinclude a specific structure, which requires a more challenging solutionto construct a 3D image of these objects. Specifically, imaging objectscomprising rigid man-made and half-transparent bodies, for examplehollow objects made of glass or plastic. This is a result of theseobjects smooth surfaces which operate like mirrors at small wavelengths(i.e., where the wavelength is substantially smaller that the roughnessof the surface). Unlike point scatters, most of the energy in theseobjects is reflected along a specific direction. In this case theresolution cannot be obtained by simply summing all sensor pairs (suchas I_(DAS)(r)), and different bi-static measurements of the surface haveto be utilized. Furthermore, the object's rigid body distorts thesignals obtained from deeper layers (e.g. cavities). Due to the highsensitivity of the system (e.g. such as system 100) to the propagationvelocity and the width of the materials between the imaged body and theantenna, the surface and in some cases the material properties have tobe estimated prior to imaging of the internal layers.

Image Improvements

According to further embodiments of the invention, the number ofdifferent signals and viewing angles, and hence image quality andresolution of the object, can be improved by using additional imagingmethods and devices such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods.According to SAR methods the array elements or the object may be moved,as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 The information can be combined either atthe signal level (i.e. extending I_(coh) by adding synthetic pairs), orat the image level (i.e. by coherently combining images obtained fromdifferent angles). The location of the array can be estimated using oneor more motion sensors and the signals themselves (e.g. with respect toa reference target or a reference antenna).

However, the imaging complexity, using additional imaging methods suchas SAR, is increased since the image resolution and the required numberof sensors is increased in proportion to one over the wavelength. Tocope with the increased imaging complexity several techniques may beapplied. According to a first embodiment, the antenna array may bedivided to subarrays, where the information from each subarray isprocessed separately by a separate processing unit or by a singleprocessing unit such as unit 160 and then combined by the processingunit once the image is constructed at the image reconstruction step.

Alternatively or on combination, a variable resolution imaging processmay be used. The variable resolution imaging process comprises producinga low resolution image, for example a resolution of between and thenidentifying the “interesting” parts of the image and improvingresolution only in those parts. In some cases, the ‘interesting parts’are defined as such as and are located according to methods such.

Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the invention as part ofthe step for reconstruction the image, the regularities in the antennaarrays may be utilized in order to reduce the number of computations(using FFT-like structures).

In some cases, polarimetric information, obtained from cross- andco-polarized sensors may be utilized in order to estimate properties, ofthe object which are not visible by unipolar imaging, for example,structures and details which lie below the imaging resolution.

In another embodiment, known imaging methods such as Capon or variousadaptive beamforming methods may be utilized in order to improve imagequality and/or signal to clutter ratio. The reconstructed image may beimproved by an iterative process, which extracts important physicalparameters, e.g., dielectric properties, and reuses them to improve theimage.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart of a method 501 of a method for 3D modelling ofan object, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Method 501comprises all steps for constructing a 3D image as illustrated inflowchart 500 of FIG. 5A. Once the reconstructed image is obtained atstep 570, a 3D modelling of the object is obtained at step 580,resulting in a mechanical 3D model of the object. According to oneembodiment of the invention the external contour of the object is firstmodeled which follows by a “peel” of the external model and modeling thefollowed internal contour of the object such as in an onion peelingprocess, step by step until the inner parts of the object are completelymodeled. The reconstruction stage includes a combination of transmissionimaging, i.e., using the signals which passed through the object, andreflection imaging, i.e., the signals which are reflected back from theobject. According to some embodiments, polarimetric data may beexploited as well.

According to some embodiments, the object may be inserted into a highepsilon material, in order to improve resolution, resulting in aneffective shorter wavelength than in air.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 illustrating a 3D cross section image ofa solid opaque cup and a ball inside the cup where both the ball and thecup are visible. The present invention provides a system and method formodeling an object which includes providing a representation of theexternal and internal parts and parameters (e.g. width, volume etc.) ofthe object including for example elements which are inside the objectsuch as the ball shown in FIG. 6 .

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “having”and their conjugates mean “including but not limited to”. This termencompasses the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”.

As used herein, the singular form “a”, “an” and “the” include pluralreferences unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, forclarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also beprovided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in thecontext of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or inany suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other describedembodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the contextof various embodiments are not to be considered essential features ofthose embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without thoseelements.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modificationsand variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated in their entirety by referenceinto the specification, to the same extent as if each individualpublication, patent or patent application was specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. Inaddition, citation or identification of any reference in thisapplication shall not be construed as an admission that such referenceis available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent thatsection headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarilylimiting.

In further embodiments, the processing unit may be a digital processingdevice including one or more hardware central processing units (CPU)that carry out the device's functions. In still further embodiments, thedigital processing device further comprises an operating systemconfigured to perform executable instructions. In some embodiments, thedigital processing device is optionally connected a computer network. Infurther embodiments, the digital processing device is optionallyconnected to the Internet such that it accesses the World Wide Web. Instill further embodiments, the digital processing device is optionallyconnected to a cloud computing infrastructure. In other embodiments, thedigital processing device is optionally connected to an intranet. Inother embodiments, the digital processing device is optionally connectedto a data storage device.

In accordance with the description herein, suitable digital processingdevices include, by way of non-limiting examples, server computers,desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, sub-notebookcomputers, netbook computers, netpad computers, set-top computers,handheld computers, Internet appliances, mobile smartphones, tabletcomputers, personal digital assistants, video game consoles, andvehicles. Those of skill in the art will recognize that many smartphonesare suitable for use in the system described herein. Those of skill inthe art will also recognize that select televisions with optionalcomputer network connectivity are suitable for use in the systemdescribed herein. Suitable tablet computers include those with booklet,slate, and convertible configurations, known to those of skill in theart.

In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes an operatingsystem configured to perform executable instructions. The operatingsystem is, for example, software, including programs and data, whichmanages the device's hardware and provides services for execution ofapplications. Those of skill in the art will recognize that suitableserver operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples,FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD®, Linux, Apple® Mac OS X Server®, Oracle®Solaris®, Windows Server®, and Novell® NetWare®. Those of skill in theart will recognize that suitable personal computer operating systemsinclude, by way of non-limiting examples, Microsoft® Windows®, Apple®Mac OS X®, UNIX®, and UNIX-like operating systems such as GNU/Linux®. Insome embodiments, the operating system is provided by cloud computing.Those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable mobile smartphone operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples, Nokia®Symbian® OS, Apple® iOS®, Research In Motion® BlackBerry OS®, Google®Android®, Microsoft® Windows Phone® OS, Microsoft® Windows Mobile® OS,Linux®, and Palm® WebOS®.

In some embodiments, the device includes a storage and/or memory device.The storage and/or memory device is one or more physical apparatusesused to store data or programs on a temporary or permanent basis. Insome embodiments, the device is volatile memory and requires power tomaintain stored information. In some embodiments, the device isnon-volatile memory and retains stored information when the digitalprocessing device is not powered. In further embodiments, thenon-volatile memory comprises flash memory. In some embodiments, thenon-volatile memory comprises dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). Insome embodiments, the non-volatile memory comprises ferroelectric randomaccess memory (FRAM). In some embodiments, the non-volatile memorycomprises phase-change random access memory (PRAM). In otherembodiments, the device is a storage device including, by way ofnon-limiting examples, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, magneticdisk drives, magnetic tapes drives, optical disk drives, and cloudcomputing based storage. In further embodiments, the storage and/ormemory device is a combination of devices such as those disclosedherein.

In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes a display tosend visual information to a user. In some embodiments, the display is acathode ray tube (CRT). In some embodiments, the display is a liquidcrystal display (LCD). In further embodiments, the display is a thinfilm transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). In some embodiments,the display is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. Invarious further embodiments, on OLED display is a passive-matrix OLED(PMOLED) or active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display. In some embodiments,the display is a plasma display. In other embodiments, the display is avideo projector. In still further embodiments, the display is acombination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes an inputdevice to receive information from a user. In some embodiments, theinput device is a keyboard. In some embodiments, the input device is apointing device including, by way of non-limiting examples, a mouse,trackball, track pad, joystick, game controller, or stylus. In someembodiments, the input device is a touch screen or a multi-touch screen.In other embodiments, the input device is a microphone to capture voiceor other sound input. In other embodiments, the input device is a videocamera to capture motion or visual input. In still further embodiments,the input device is a combination of devices such as those disclosedherein.

In some embodiments, the system disclosed herein includes one or morenon-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with a programincluding instructions executable by the operating system of anoptionally networked digital processing device. In further embodiments,a computer readable storage medium is a tangible component of a digitalprocessing device. In still further embodiments, a computer readablestorage medium is optionally removable from a digital processing device.

In some embodiments, a computer readable storage medium includes, by wayof non-limiting examples, CD-ROMs. DVDs, flash memory devices, solidstate memory, magnetic disk drives, magnetic tape drives, optical diskdrives, cloud computing systems and services, and the like. In somecases, the program and instructions are permanently, substantiallypermanently, semi-permanently, or non-transitorily encoded on the media.In some embodiments, the system disclosed herein includes at least onecomputer program, or use of the same. A computer program includes asequence of instructions, executable in the digital processing device'sCPU, written to perform a specified task. Computer readable instructionsmay be implemented as program modules, such as functions, objects,Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), data structures, and thelike, that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstractdata types. In light of the disclosure provided herein, those of skillin the art will recognize that a computer program may be written invarious versions of various languages.

The functionality of the computer readable instructions may be combinedor distributed as desired in various environments. In some embodiments,a computer program comprises one sequence of instructions. In someembodiments, a computer program comprises a plurality of sequences ofinstructions. In some embodiments, a computer program is provided fromone location. In other embodiments, a computer program is provided froma plurality of locations. In various embodiments, a computer programincludes one or more software modules. In various embodiments, acomputer program includes, in part or in whole, one or more webapplications, one or more mobile applications, one or more standaloneapplications, one or more web browser plug-ins, extensions, add-ins, oradd-ons, or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, a computer program includes a mobile applicationprovided to a mobile digital processing device. In some embodiments, themobile application is provided to a mobile digital processing device atthe time it is manufactured. In other embodiments, the mobileapplication is provided to a mobile digital processing device via thecomputer network described herein.

In view of the disclosure provided herein, a mobile application iscreated by techniques known to those of skill in the art using hardware,languages, and development environments known to the art. Those of skillin the art will recognize that mobile applications are written inseveral languages. Suitable programming languages include, by way ofnon-limiting examples, C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Java™, Javascript,Pascal, Object Pascal, Python™, Ruby, VB.NET, WML, and XHTML/HTML withor without CSS, or combinations thereof.

Suitable mobile application development environments are available fromseveral sources. Commercially available development environmentsinclude, by way of non-limiting examples, AirplaySDK, alcheMo,Appcelerator®, Celsius, Bedrock, Flash Lite, NET Compact Framework,Rhomobile, and WorkLight Mobile Platform. Other development environmentsare available without cost including, by way of non-limiting examples,Lazarus, MobiFlex, MoSync, and Phonegap. Also, mobile devicemanufacturers distribute software developer kits including, by way ofnon-limiting examples, iPhone and iPad (iOS) SDK, Android™ SDK,BlackBerry® SDK, BREW SDK, Palm® OS SDK, Symbian SDK, webOS SDK, andWindows® Mobile SDK.

Those of skill in the art will recognize that several commercial forumsare available for distribution of mobile applications including, by wayof non-limiting examples, Apple® App Store, Android™ Market, BlackBerry®App World, App Store for Palm devices, App Catalog for webOS, Windows®Marketplace for Mobile, Ovi Store for Nokia® devices, Samsung® Apps, andNintendo® DSi Shop.

In some embodiments, the system disclosed herein includes software,server, and/or database modules, or use of the same. In view of thedisclosure provided herein, software modules are created by techniquesknown to those of skill in the art using machines, software, andlanguages known to the art. The software modules disclosed herein areimplemented in a multitude of ways. In various embodiments, a softwaremodule comprises a file, a section of code, a programming object, aprogramming structure, or combinations thereof. In further variousembodiments, a software module comprises a plurality of files, aplurality of sections of code, a plurality of programming objects, aplurality of programming structures, or combinations thereof. In variousembodiments, the one or more software modules comprise, by way ofnon-limiting examples, a web application, a mobile application, and astandalone application. In some embodiments, software modules are in onecomputer program or application. In other embodiments, software modulesare in more than one computer program or application. In someembodiments, software modules are hosted on one machine. In otherembodiments, software modules are hosted on more than one machine. Infurther embodiments, software modules are hosted on cloud computingplatforms. In some embodiments, software modules are hosted on one ormore machines in one location. In other embodiments, software modulesare hosted on one or more machines in more than one location.

In some embodiments, the system disclosed herein includes one or moredatabases, or use of the same. In view of the disclosure providedherein, those of skill in the art will recognize that many databases aresuitable for storage and retrieval of information as described herein.In various embodiments, suitable databases include, by way ofnon-limiting examples, relational databases, non-relational databases,object oriented databases, object databases, entity-relationship modeldatabases, associative databases, and XML databases. In someembodiments, a database is internet-based. In further embodiments, adatabase is web-based. In still further embodiments, a database is cloudcomputing-based. In other embodiments, a database is based on one ormore local computer storage devices.

In the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementationof the inventions. The various appearances of “one embodiment,” “anembodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to thesame embodiments.

Although various features of the invention may be described in thecontext of a single embodiment, the features may also be providedseparately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although theinvention may be described herein in the context of separate embodimentsfor clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a singleembodiment.

Reference in the specification to “some embodiments”, “an embodiment”,“one embodiment” or “other embodiments” means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but notnecessarily all embodiments, of the inventions.

It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employedherein is not to be construed as limiting and are for descriptivepurpose only.

The principles and uses of the teachings of the present invention may bebetter understood with reference to the accompanying description,figures and examples.

It is to be understood that the details set forth herein do not construea limitation to an application of the invention.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can be carriedout or practiced in various ways and that the invention can beimplemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in thedescription above.

It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”,“consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude theaddition of one or more components, features, steps, or integers orgroups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifyingcomponents, features, steps or integers.

If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, thatdoes not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.

It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to“a” or “an” element, such reference is not be construed that there isonly one of that element.

It is to be understood that where the specification states that acomponent, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, “can”or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure,or characteristic is not required to be included.

Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or both may beused to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to thosediagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow neednot move through each illustrated box or stare, or in exactly the sameorder as illustrated and described.

Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing orcompleting manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selectedsteps or tasks.

The descriptions, examples, methods and materials presented in theclaims and the specification are not to be construed as limiting butrather as illustrative only.

Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to becommonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which theinvention belongs, unless otherwise defined.

The present invention may be implemented in the testing or practice withmethods and materials equivalent or similar to those described herein.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on thescope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of some of thepreferred embodiments. Other possible variations, modifications, andapplications are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly,the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus farbeen described, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated in their entirety by referenceinto the specification, to the same extent as if each individualpublication, patent or patent application was specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. Inaddition, citation or identification of any reference in thisapplication shall not be construed as an admission that such referenceis available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent thatsection headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarilylimiting.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for generating a three-dimensional(3D) imaging of an object using an electromagnetic transducer arraysurrounding the object said electromagnetic transducer array comprising:a plurality of electromagnetic transducers; a transmitter; a receiver;and a Radio Frequency Signals Measurement Analyzer (RFSMA); the methodcomprising: applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to saidelectromagnetic transducer array using said transmitter; receiving, bysaid receiver, a plurality of RF signals affected by said object fromsaid electromagnetic transducers array; receiving and measuring saidplurality of affected RF signals using said RFSMA to provide RF data ofthe object; processing said RF data using at least one processor toidentify the dielectric properties of said object; constructing a 3Dimage of said object; and providing a two-dimensional (2D) or 3D imageof the object using a visual camera.
 2. The methods according to claim1, further comprising: producing a model of the object, said modelcomprises a representation of the external and internal shape orparameters of the object.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein saidparameters comprise dielectric properties of the object.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising: measuring the object from a pluralityof bi-static angles using the electromagnetic transducer array.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of electromagnetictransducers are RF antennas.
 6. The method according to claim 1, whereinsaid wideband electromagnetic transducer array is a MIMO (Multiple InputMultiple Output) antenna array.
 7. The method according to claim 6,wherein said antenna array is attached to said housing surface.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, comprising a housing having a cavity therein whereinsaid cavity is configured to contain said object.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, wherein said housing shape is selected from thegroup consisting of: a sphere, a cube, a cage.
 10. The method accordingto claim 8, comprising motors and wherein the method further comprising:rotating the housing or the antenna array or the object with respect toY or X axis.
 11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said housingcomprises at least one arc for holding said RF antennas.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 11, comprising: sliding up or down said RF antennasalong said at least one arc.
 13. The method according to claim 11,comprising: sliding up or down said RF antennas along said at least onearc while the housing is rotated.
 14. The method according to claim 8,comprising: rotating said object while the housing is in a staticposition.
 15. The method according to claim 1, comprising: superposingthe 2D or 3D images of the object with the 3D image of said object.